As far as I can tell the only obvious differences are:
1) The Even Brake has proportional braking.
2) The Even Brake has a metal air cylinder (I guess the implication is that the Brake Buddy does not.)
2) With the Brake Buddy you can change the braking sensitivity remotely.
Anybody have any experiences they would like to relate with either? Any comments?

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As far as I can tell the only obvious differences are:
1) The Even Brake has proportional braking.
2) The Even Brake has a metal air cylinder (I guess the implication is that the Brake Buddy does not.)
2) With the Brake Buddy you can change the braking sensitivity remotely.
Anybody have any experiences they would like to relate with either? Any comments?

Good question, I just picked up my MDX with the Even Brake and haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Looking forward to other's opinions of the Even Brake system (I had read several unfavorable opinions of the Brake Buddy, which is why we chose Even Brake).

I tried to set up the even brake on my coach and if I remember correctly it required a little splicing into the brake circuit. Never could get it to preform consistantly. Took it back to camping world and got my money back. Installed a Brake Buddy--no problems since.

One or more of the proportional system manufacturers claim proportional is better because tractor trailers have proportional braking.

While tractor trailers do have proportional braking, in that application, the trailer weighs far more than the tractor, and proportional braking is required.

In motorhome application the "trailer" (toad) usually weighs far less than the motorhome, and the comparison is apples to oranges. If I had a smaller motorhome with a heavy toad, I would have to consider proportional braking.

Many times motorhome applications are compared to aircraft because aircraft use synthetic oil or aircraft use nitrogen in their tires, or Nascar uses nitrogen in their tires, or truckers let their engines idle for hours.

Just because something is best in another application, doesn't mean it's beneficial in motorhoming.

However, so much in life is personal preference, so we able to go with whatever we are comfortable with.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
I chose non proportional braking because I do not want my toad's brakes to be applied every time I use my MH's brakes. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

For the roughly the price of either one of these autonomous systems that require user insertion and removal the SMI Stay-In-Play may soon be installed under the hood. It will be both out of sight and out of mind until you need to use the system.

SMI currently hides the Air Force One under the hood and it's basically invisible to the driver until you turn it on.

Armed by stepping on the brake pedal and activating the brake lamps, the fully proportional SMI unit will take auxilliary braking ownership to the next level.

Call Peter, Michael or Brent at SMI Manufacturing for all the details about Air Force 1 and the current Stay-In-Play Auxilliary Braking System.

Both the SMI Stay-IN-Play and Air Force One work well with hydra-boost braking systems. We have numerous "hydra-boost" customers that have switched to SMI after over-braking and damaging their towed vehicle with another system. One of these is the co-owner of this site, Bob Gregory (rebelsbeach), who is towing a Hummer H3 with an Air Force One braking system.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Both the SMI Stay-IN-Play and Air Force One work well with hydra-boost braking systems. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Brent, how does either SMI system supply the "boost", and can either system be adjusted to provide non proportional braking?